Department of Commerce April 11, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given that National Ocean Service Marine Forensic Lab [Responsible Party: Julie Carter], 219 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412 [Permit No. 13599], and the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Region Protected Resources Division [Responsible Party: Mary Colligan], One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930 [Permit No. 1614], have been issued modifications to their scientific research permits.

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 12 to the Fishery Management Plan for Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ off the Coast of Alaska (FMP). If approved, Amendment 12 would comprehensively revise and update the FMP to reflect the North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council's) salmon management policy and to comply with Federal law. This proposed rule is necessary to revise specific regulations and remove obsolete regulations in accordance with the modifications proposed by Amendment 12. These proposed regulations are intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the FMP, and other applicable laws.

On October 11, 2011, the Department of Commerce (``Department'') published in the Federal Register the preliminary results of the first administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain kitchen appliance shelving and racks from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'').\1\ We gave interested parties an opportunity to comment on the Preliminary Results. Based upon our analysis of the comments and information received, we have made changes to the margin calculations for the final results. We continue to find that certain exporters have sold subject merchandise at less than normal value during the period of review (``POR'') March 5, 2009, through August 31, 2010.\2\

In accordance with the framework procedures for adjusting management measures of the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf FMP) and the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (South Atlantic FMP), this rule certifies two new bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) for use in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) and South Atlantic shrimp fisheries, and revises a harvesting restriction for shrimp vessels fishing in Federal waters of the Gulf. Both BRDs represent modifications to the Composite Panel BRD, which is provisionally certified through May 24, 2012. This rule incorporates these BRDs into the list of allowable BRDs, and provides technical specifications for the construction and subsequent legal enforcement of these BRDs. Additionally, this rule reduces the shrimp effort threshold for the Gulf shrimp fishery. The intended effect of this final rule is to improve bycatch reduction efforts in the Gulf and South Atlantic shrimp fisheries, provide greater flexibility to the industry, reduce the potential adverse social and economic impacts to fishing communities of previous restrictions, and meet the requirements of National Standard 9 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) which requires, to the extent practicable, the minimization of bycatch and bycatch mortality.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher/processors (C/Ps) using trawl gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2012 Pacific cod total allowable catch apportioned to C/Ps using trawl gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.